Ronda Chervin received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University and an MA in Religious Studies from Notre Dame Apostolic Institute. A widow, mother, and grandmother, she currently teaches philosophy at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. Write to her at chervinronda@gmail.com.

“The argument moves from the existence of the thing to the correctness of the thing: what is, ought to be. Or, a popular variant: if a thing is, it doesn't make any difference whether it ought to be—the correct response is to adjust, to learn to live with the thing.”
— L. Brent Bozell, Jr.

A repetitive situation I dislike is when people return to a learning institution after a vacation and everyone asks “how was your summer?” They want to hear, “terrific,” but really my summer might have been difficult, but if I say so it seems inappropriately personal, and just saying “glad to be back” seems kind of evasive!

I have a wonderful friend, Dorothy, in North Carolina. Whenever I visit my family there, I am shocked anew because whenever you ask this woman who is in chronic sometimes acute pain most of the time, “how are you, Dorothy?” she responds, “I’m good with God!”

I realize that she is turning a conventional neutral moment into a graced witness moment, since her answer forces us to stop complaining about our lesser aches and pains and to think of God.

You might want to think of an answer to “how are you?” that fits your personality and would be as refreshing. For now, when people ask me about my summer I’m going to copy Dorothy and say, “it was good with God.”

Read more blog entries by Dr. Ronda by visiting RONDAVIEW. Dr. Ronda Chervin has many free e-books and audios on her website rondachervin.com. If you go to her website and read or listen and then want to correspond with her she will be available. Her schedule does not permit, however, responding to comments on the Blog, though she enjoys reading them. Dr. Ronda’s newest project is spiritualityrunningtogod.com.

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